The Sound of Rain
by Ange Amour
Summary: HAITUS
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own _Wolf's Rain_.

**The Sound of Rain**

~ Chapter One ~

Toboe tossed and turned. For some odd reason, his body felt uncomfortable. It wasn't that he was hot and then cold. It was something else. His stomach had this weird pain inside it and his body felt as if it desperately needed to be stretched out. He kept his eyes closed and considered what the next day would bring, thinking it would help him sleep. It was still dark outside, for the sun had yet to rise. The exact time couldn't be noted by just simply staring at cave opening.

The cave was dead silent, something Toboe thought would never happen. The combination of silence and darkness made his surroundings seem mercilessly piercing. It seemed to him like hours when finally Tsume sat up.

Toboe gave up the fight to gain peaceful sleep and dreams and he sat up with a stretch and a yawn. It didn't take long at all before he noticed the strange pain inside his stomach worsen. He opened his eyes and shrugged it off, figuring it was because of hunger.

He stood, but only to stumble around. Even though he considered it normal, his body spoke very differently. It confused him as to why his body behaved the way it did. Something physical was wrong with him, but he had no idea as to what.

Out of the corner of his eyesight, Tsume noticed as Toboe tumbled to the ground with a slight moan. For an instant, he considered why he should care, but then decided to just simply give in and approach him. "Hey, Toboe, what's with you," he whispered. He sensed that something about him was off and he had a bad feeling about it.

It shook him up that he had caught Tsume's attention. He felt guilty because he didn't want to cause trouble and yet trouble was there. It aggravated him that he couldn't physically behave as if all was the norm. In reaction to his question, he nodded. "Don't worry about it. Just go back to sleep."

Tsume didn't know whether or not to continue to confront the situation. He didn't want to push Toboe's buttons, yet at the same time he worried. It didn't matter whether or not Toboe wanted him to worry or make a big fuss because he had grown to love him that much, awkward and foreign as the love of friendship seemed to him. Without Toboe, he would still have been lost. Toboe showed him the light and he didn't want to lose something good. "Ummm…You sure," he asked hesitantly.

It felt as if Toboe was spinning around in constant circles or as if he was on a carnival ride that made him dizzy. Sparkles crossed his vision and he rolled his eyes and blinked several times over. He felt as if he had to lie down or he would throw up. It took every ounce of his energy to remain sitting up. With a faked casual sigh, he laid back and closed his eyes.

A smirk crossed his lips. "Hey, um…You know you can't fool me, right?" _He thinks he can fool me by acting all macho. _The thought made him think of himself and a weird stab of realization hit him.

"Shut up!" Toboe, embarrassed to be seen in such a state, turned over onto his side, his back to Tsume. _I am not a mere child who can't protect what is precious to me!_

The newest pack member, Riri, Toboe's long lost older sister and survivor of a terrible tragedy, affectionately teased Toboe in a soprano-like voice. "Awww…the little twerp is sooo embarrassed! How cute!" _I'm so happy we are finally back together! Oh, I've missed you so much!_

Toboe squeezed his eyes tight, hugged himself and shivered. "Stop talking like that, sis. You're freaking me out." _I know she is happy, but she really needs to tone it down._

Tsume mumbled out of pure irritation, "Just once, I'd like to knock you through the roof of this cave." _She's so annoying!_

The young woman looked up at the cave ceiling and placed her right index finger under her chin, a gesture used to think really, really hard. "Hmmm…Last time I checked, it was illegal to hit a girl." She grinned as she stuck her tongue out at Tsume and giggled. _Haha, sucker!_

Toboe sarcastically wondered if he had a heart inside his head and another inside each one of his ears. His head pounded mercilessly and his ears rang. To him, every single sound was very much like nails on a chalkboard. "Please, be quiet and go back to sleep. You're slowly and painfully killing me over here." _Sheesh!_

_I bet he doesn't even realize that I have been looking out for him should some cruel wolf hunter come and try to snatch him away from me. _"What if I told you that I never went to sleep?"

Tsume stared at her as if she had completely lost her sanity. _I hope no one figures it out. _"I will not be outdone by a mere woman."

At that point, Toboe, in tears, just prayed for silence. "No more," he whimpered. _Really, are they trying to kill me? _He felt as if he could just bang his head up against something until he passed out.

Suddenly serious, Riri's happy expression faded and was replaced by one of concern. "Don't hide it, Toboe, if you're not feeling well."

Toboe felt his stomach gurgle and his entire face burned with embarrassment as he tried to hide his head with his arms. Inside his mind, he pictured his sister saying, "Ew!" and Tsume staring at him as if he had outdone his normal self.

A gentle touch on the top of his hand startled him and he jumped with a gasp, his eyes bolting wide open. His sister had placed a hand over his. When she tried to pry his arms away from his face, she noticed marks on the underneath of his lower arms. "Hey, what's this on your arm?" _Toboe, really?_

He yanked his hand from hers. "It's nothing!" _She'll probably think I'm nuts._

Riri lowered her head with a sigh. Turning her head to the right, she ruffled her shoulder length copper colored hair. Between her and the other wolves was a veil. It was nothing Toboe had done or said. "Toboe, um…" She hesitated, terrified of her younger brother's reaction. _What if…what if…_

She got to her feet and turned her back to the rest of the pack. "If it's okay with you, I'm just going to go for a walk. I need to be alone." She glanced once back over her shoulder with a fake smile and then went on her way.

As soon as she exited the cave, Kiba appeared to her right. He had been there the entire time and he had heard the entire conversation. His station was that of a guard dog as he pretended to sleep, but yet at the very same time kept his senses on high alert. "I hope you're not seriously considering going out on your own."

She stopped beside him, turned towards him and glared into his piercing blue eyes. "Leave me alone, Kiba." Her nerves were on overload, curling up tighter and tighter until she feared she'd burst.

Kiba reached to grab her by the hand. "Please, go back inside. It's too dangerous to wander out on your own." At that moment, he really thought nothing of the situation.

She swatted at his hand, struggling not to lose control. Every single muscle in her body tensed and she could not force her teeth to unclench. Closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath, she told him in a shaky voice, "I need to go right now."

Kiba shook his head. "You can't."

Her heart pounded and her feet itched to run. A strange sensation filled her. It was as if a dense black smoke covered her mind and a bright red had come over her body. It was not anger or hatred. For some strange reason, she felt on the brink of a break down. Her eyes stung as she held back tears. It was a struggle not to allow herself to tremble uncontrollably all over. If Kiba wouldn't let her be, she feared the monster inside herself.

Cheza couldn't sleep and she had laid down beside Kiba and closed her eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. Her attempt was a complete failure. Having heard the conversation between Kiba and Riri, she opened her eyes and sat up. "Do you mind if I come along?"

Kiba didn't like the idea of two girls outside in the dark all by themselves. Something awful could happen to them. Before Riri had time to refuse the offer, he spoke. "You know something, girls? I really don't feel comfortable with the idea."

Just inside the open doorway of the cave, Hige laid sprawled out, snoring loudly. He had been the very first one to fall asleep. Even though he behaved as if he had plenty of energy, exhaustion had crept on him really quite quickly. This wouldn't have been the first or the last time.

Blue sat beside him, staring at him with an amused expression. She liked to just simply sit quietly beside him and watch him sleep. The easy rise and fall of his chest and the rhythm of his snores soothed any and all terrors. "Why don't Hige and I join you?" Before Riri could refuse the offer, she shook Hige and called his name until he awoke.

Hige rubbed his eyes and yawned. "What is it," he asked in a sluggish voice.

She released him. "Riri and Cheza would like to go out for a walk. Why don't you and I join them?"

He opened his eyes and blinked. His eyes burned from the lack of sleep, but he felt as if he could remain awake. He sat up and stretched. "Sure."

Riri sighed in defeat and slouched. "Fine, whatever."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own _Wolf's Rain_.

**The Sound of Rain**

~ Chapter Two ~

While walking, Riri's mind flashed back to when she and the wolves had first met. It had been in the middle of a hot, sunny day. She had been walking along the dry, dusty earth. One moment she was walking and the next she woke to find herself surrounded by a pack of wolves. At first she had no idea how she went from walking to lying down and then the wolves told her that they had found her passed out. _So, they sensed that I was a wolf and they told me something stranger than being a wolf. I still want to understand what is this so-called Paradise._

At the time, she didn't think much of it, but the more time she spent with them the more she truly wanted to know. "Sooo…like…why are you searching the mountains high and the valleys low? I mean, I know you've already told me that you were searching for a place called Paradise, but I always thought that Paradise was an entirely new start to your life after your death here on the planet earth."

Hige could tell that she wasn't making fun. He could tell that she truly wanted to understand. "Paradise is a beautiful place filled with beautiful flowers of all kinds and the table is filled with mounds of food. There is lots of water to drink, too, and the girls are very pretty. Pain of any kind doesn't exist."

Riri struggled to get her head around the fact that the people around her sought something that could only be achieved when the time is right. "What do you think about Paradise as a place you go to when you die?"

Kiba tried his very best to help her understand. He gestured towards Cheza in order to point her out. "Cheza, the flower maiden, was created out of lunar flowers. It is her and us wolves who are able to access Paradise."

At that point, Riri really struggled to get her head around the idea. "Wait so what you are saying is that Cheza and us wolves are heavenly beings meant to be worshipped? What is this, some kind of Pagan religion?"

Hige grinned and his eyes showed a hint of mischief. "Whoa, this topic just turned serious."

Blue didn't bite the cracker Hige offered to her and the others. Instead, she thought the joke really rather stupid. "Where have you been? This topic has always been serious."

At that moment, Riri spun around with a high kick to the left and her right foot came into harsh contact with the right side of Hige's right leg. "Stop making fun of me, you jerk!" _That's it! I've had it!_

Blue shoved her away from Hige. "Hey, no one's making fun of you!" _Jeez, she's picking a fight already! _It aggravated her that someone who just met those she hung out with, including herself, was already picking fights. She wanted no part of it really.

Riri turned her back to them and took two steps forward. _To be perfectly honest, I have no idea whether or not I should hang around these folks. _She had nothing at all against the people themselves. She was one of them after all. It wouldn't be fair for her to dislike her own kind.

Blue quickly reached out and grabbed the backside of her shirt, pulling her towards her and Hige. "What is your problem?" She truly was curious, but she also just simply wanted her to stop trying to pick fights.

She felt a tug and stopped, sighing and rolling her eyes. "Let go of me!" She didn't like being touched, especially if it was by someone she barely even knew. It unnerved her.

Blue continued to hold on to her shirt, her grip tightening. "I really don't like your attitude." She wanted to make her point to a stubborn person.

"Come on, let's head back." It was a lame attempt to try and derail the situation. As soon as she turned around and started to head back, her head began to pound mercilessly and sparkles clouded her vision as black pulsated around the edges. Black lines pulsated as they went from the edges of her vision to random points. Clear circles floated in her vision. Her head spun and her ears rang. Her legs and her knees wobbled. Her body felt weak and she felt tired. Everything blurred and her heavy eyelids closed as her knees buckled. Her legs slid from under her and she crumbled to the ground. She began to feel slightly sick to her stomach. _What the…?_

Confused and worried, Blue dropped to her knees in front of her and reached towards her. "Hey, Riri!"

Kiba dropped to his knees beside Blue. "Is she okay?"

Blue shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea."

Hige bent down low, reached for Riri and swept her up off the ground and into his arms. "I'll just carry this spoiled big baby home." For the moment, didn't care how rude her behavior had been. It did bother him, but he would bring it up to her later.

Blue shivered and hugged herself. "Ew, the way you just now said that…"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own _Wolf's Rain_.

**The Sound of Rain**

~ Chapter Three ~

Riri felt herself floating on air, light as a feather in the wind. A bright and warm light approached her, or was she approaching the bright and warm light? Either way, she very slowly opened her eyes the slightest bit. Her thoughts were slow inside her mind. _Wh…at…?_

"Hey sis, are you all right?"

Instinctively, she nodded. What had taken place earlier had left her mind. If someone were to ask her question after question about her health and so on and so forth and then stick into the mix a strange question such as "Are you in love with Tsume?" it would be really funny. It would also be really cruel to pull that one over on her.

Though tempting, Toboe didn't do that to her. The situation was dire, not something to play games over. For all he knew, his older sister could end up crippled in some of her senses or worse, she could end up dead. That was exaggerating, but he really didn't understand what was happening.

She someway somehow managed to choke out, "T-To…" She struggled to remain conscious. Her eyelids blinked slowly and she struggled to lift them more and more each time. She felt herself drift alone among darkness and a cold heaviness overwhelmed her. Her vision blurred and her head spun. Her entire body screamed in physical agony. She breathed heavily and coughed weakly. In so much pain, tears gathered in her eyes.

The boy shook his head. "Just rest, okay? Please?" _Why on earth didn't she mention that she was feeling ill? _His own illness had been placed on the back burner. He was more worried about his older sister.

Riri only heard muffled sounds. She opened her mouth to speak, but she gasped and her eyes widened as pain pierced her chest and her heartbeat slowed. Her heart felt about to explode and her lungs felt about to burst. Inside her mind, she screamed in agony and her body jerked about as if in a battle for breath.

Toboe held on tightly to the only family he had left. A terrible sense of dread washed over him. Was he about to lose his sister for good? _This wasn't supposed to happen!_

The next time she opened her eyes, she found herself to be in some kind of hospital looking bed inside some kind of hospital looking room, a cold, damp cloth on her forehead. She stared about the room in confusion, not really knowing what to say.

Toboe, who sat in a chair beside the bed, glared at her. "Oh? You're awake, huh?"

She gulped. _Uh-oh! _"Oh, no! Okay, look. I know I should've told you, but-"

"That's no excuse! Do you realize you've shortened my life many years? I mean, don't get me wrong, I am grateful that you are okay, but the point is that you have not been taking proper care of yourself."

She stared at him with a depressed look. "I apologize. I understand if you want to leave me behind."

Toboe sat down on the bed beside her, sighing. "Honestly, you are such a hardhead."

"I'm sorry." She pulled the pillow out from behind her head and placed it between her and Toboe, burying her face and feeling the heat soak into the pillow.

He pried the pillow out of her hands. "Now I think I know why you enjoy teasing me so much."

She shoved her hands into his face. "That is enough!"

He closed his eyes and took a shuddery breath. Tears rushed forth and it burned the more he struggled to hold them back. "About what happened earlier?" _I just got you back and now you're a beautiful flower slowly fading away._

_Riri_smiled sweetly as she reached over to him, took his hands in her own and gave them a confident squeeze. "Please, don't be too sad."

He opened his eyes and the tears overflowed, turning his vision into a watery blur. His older sister swam in two pools of water. "How can this be happening, sis? You were always the strong one!"

Weakly, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug from the side. "Shhh…It'll all be just fine." _When it's my time to depart, I must depart. _

_He wiped at his tears. "Yeah, but I don't want you to leave me!"_

She stopped hugging him. "Oh, don't be silly, Toboe. I'm always here." She pointed at his chest, where his heart was.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're rotten, you know that?"

Riri felt satisfied with her life. For the longest time, she had wanted to meet the younger brother her grandmother had told her about just before she was killed by a wolf hunter. "I've lived a very nice life. I have no regrets. I'm happy to have gotten to spend some time with you."

It somehow felt that if he begged enough, she would remain. However, in reality, that was far from the case. It just simply hurt far too much, so much so that pain surged through his chest with every single beat of his heart. "Please, don't leave me."

She nodded. "For now, I won't. However, I cannot promise you that I won't later on." She knew full well that a tomorrow was never final for her. She may or may not live until tomorrow. Later on could just simply be a few hours.

The conversation totally derailed as neither of them knew what to say to the other. The silence between them wasn't really all that awkward. In fact, it was more of a comfort.

Suddenly, Toboe noticed the light above glint off a very plain looking silver ring. _What's that? _"Hey, ummm…what's that on your finger?" He wasn't trying to be nosey. He was genuinely curious. It wasn't as if he was some kind of gossip bucket or anything of the sort.

Her eyes immediately went for the ring on her finger and she stared at it in silence, biting her lip hard. _Ah, no way, not again! _She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It felt as if she was about to completely expose herself to a blow right to the center of the heart. Sure, the ring had some significance to her, but for some strange reason, it was difficult to get the words out of her.

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Of course, you don't have to tell me if you'd rather not. I mean, it's not really my business." _Oh, I guess she'll tell me if she really wants to._

She shook her head and gulped. "No, that's not it at all." _Ah, it's killing me! _It was indeed killing her on the inside. Her younger brother wasn't exactly the type to react in a horrifying way if she were to tell him, but it was just some complicated part of her that wondered what exactly he would think of her. Not that she thought it was wrong or embarrassing.

He stared deep into her eyes for a moment and then blinked. "Then what is it? Don't worry, I promise I won't make fun of you."

The question also completely caught her off guard because she only recently found out about her younger brother and so therefore she had never even considered when or how she would tell him. Her face heated up and her eyes darted about. "Well, Toboe, I uh…I am engaged to someone…a guy…um…my love."

At that, Toboe laughed. Struggling to hold it in didn't do any good and it was something bold and honest. If he had actually gotten himself to hold back, even for her sake, it would have not been so bold and honest. It actually told of his confusion and how he thought it was kind of funny. "What are you so nervous for? You don't need my permission. I'm not your father."

Immediately, she felt relieved. _Oh, he doesn't hate my guts. _"Don't forget, Toboe, I am still your older sister. I shall remain so no matter what." She wanted to make that clear to him. It wasn't as if she was abandoning him or anything of the sort. She would always be there for him when he needed her the most. An older sister could do and say things no one else ever could. At least, it wouldn't have as much impact.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, noticing that she smelled strangely of flowers. To him, she felt warm, gentle, kind, sweet and spirited. "Oh, don't be silly! Is that what this is all about?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "Thank-you."

That confused him. He really hadn't spoken a word or done anything really big that would be worthy of a word of thanks. "What are you thanking me for, sis?"

She soaked in his scent, not wanting to ever forget it. Her brother meant a lot to her. "Well, what else? For not just up and tossing me out into the trash. For loving me. For not judging me."

He gave her a headlock and a noogie. "So, who's the lucky guy?"

She squirmed. "Gyah, you little turd!"

"I'm not going to quit until you tell me."

"Okay, okay, sheesh, Toboe! He is far away, there are you happy now?"

He released her. "How on earth…?"

"He's a computer programmer for the military."


End file.
